Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.
Henry Cust. 18611917876. Non Nobis
NOT unto us, O Lord, | |
Not unto us the rapture of the day, | |
The peace of night, or love’s divine surprise, | |
High heart, high speech, high deeds ‘mid honouring eyes; | |
For at Thy word | 5 |
All these are taken away. | |
Not unto us, O Lord: | |
To us thou givest the scorn, the scourge, the scar, | |
The ache of life, the loneliness of death, | |
The insufferable sufficiency of breath; | 10 |
And with Thy sword | |
Thou piercest very far. | |
Not unto us, O Lord: | |
Nay, Lord, but unto her be all things given— | |
My light and life and earth and sky be blasted— | 15 |
But let not all that wealth of loss be wasted: | |
Let Hell afford | |
The pavement of her Heaven! |